Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-05
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

dmoLS tnt more Important WOrhs VI re-
cent issue is Charles F. Richardson's
American Literature-1607, 1885, Vol
ume one is devoted to 1.-The Development
of American Thought" 1t is issued by
G. P Pu.nams Sons. New York and Lon
don, and is for sale by A. l.. Bancroft Il
Co., San Francisco. 1t is a large octave
volume of over $50 pages. A second VOL
ume is to be issued in 1887, completing the
series, and will be devoted to Amer
lean poetry and fiction. We
have made but partial eX-
animation of Mr.. Richardson's book; it
is one not to be read otherwise than very
deliberately. But we have progressed suf-
ficiently in it to pronounce it work of
much importance and most valuable
contribution to literary criticism. 1t is
difficult task to estimate, rank and analyze
the achievements of American authors,
and few who have attempted it have come
| out of the effort without wounds and scars
National pride leads us in this matter into
| much resentment of frank criticism.
Richardson has realized this, and prepared
his work with clear conception of the
difficulties of the task and all it involves.
Judged from the European standpoint
American literature has been belittled
here, wholly misconceived there and I'M
duly exalted yonder, and but occasionally
been under estimated and over estimated,
| while, measured by home judgment, it has
had comparatively little unprecedented criti-
| cism. The difference between English and
| American literature is not so broad as our
| foreign or our home critics have assumed.
| Ours is a branch of the parent tree old
stock indeed in new soil. What can we
expect of home judgment of the trans
planted, when such as Victor Hugo confess
! ignorance of Emerson and place Poe at the
apex of our literary structure? What can
| we expect when critics soberly estimate
| Mark Twain and Bret Harte as our
| most characteristic writers, and when
we find the earlier English critics,
| as Mr.. Richardson points out, exalting
| Longfellow on the one hand, and rat
| ing him commonplace on the other?
| The truth is, there has not been any settled
| judgment among ourselves as TO the place
of American literary genius in the worlds
| literature. Mr.. Richardson's fine work is a
| welcome aid to bring us into closer agree
| ment, and point out the paths by which
alone we can reach sound judgment. He
is neither extrayagant in praise nor chilling
| in analysis, but judicial in his calm, and
| dispassionate in criticism that is philo-
sophical in character, as all true criticism
| must be- We must set ourselves at dis
from standpoint illuminated by any other
than philosophical lights. We must be
able to separate personal taste from per-
sonal dislike of style, and judge it by
standards of criticism measurably imper-
sonal. Richardson, better than any we recall,
has done this, so far as we have proceeded
in his work. He appears to us to be ex-
aiming effects by their relation to causes
to be tracing the descent of far distant in
fluences into the factors of home work to
be among the coolest of those who have
analytically examined the environment of
American genius and its influence in the
development of native ability. All things
present are best judged by comparison with
things of the past. American literary
achievement must be likewise estimated
We must do as Richardson aids us in doing
Examine our own authors in the light of
their surroundings, and beside the achieve
ments of others under wholly different or
similar conditions. In short, we must do
as our author insists consider American
literature as calmly as we would that of an
other country and under the same limita-
ton of perspective. Let us no
longer praise an author because he is
American or because his book was printed
in Boston or New York, instead of London
or Paris. We can afford to be self-respect-
ing. 1t is the new city, the shoddy family,
the growing literature that is selfassertiven
From A. L. Bancroft & Co., San Fran
cisco, we have received a copy of large
and handsomely illustrated octave volume
of 52S pages issued by Martin Garrison &
Co, Boston, entitled Pope Leo MIL, His
Life and Letters" 1t is edited by Rev.
James F. Talbot, d. D., with an introduce
ton by Rev. p. A. McKenna. 1t opens
with fine crayon photographic portrait of
the Pope, certified to as one of the very
| best extant by Cardinal Manning and
Cardinal Howard, and commended as cor
rect by the Pope himself in an epigram.
The book is sold by subscription only. 1t
appears to be an exhaustive history of the
career of Leo X1II. in the first place, and
mprehensive treatise, from the Catholic
standpoint of the church in all lands
under the present Pontifcate and all the
| bulls and letters issued by the Pope, the
councils held, DEGREES uttered and doctrines
discussed. Among the many full page
| illustrations are such as the exterior and
| interior of st. Peters, bird's-eye view
] of Rome, portraits of Cardinals McCloskey,
Gibbons, Moran and Taschereau. There is
added to the volume a pronouncing die
| tionary of Catholic words, phrases and ex-
| pressions, chronological tables of the
| Popes, principal cathedrals, etc. The vol
|
Rome, will be of profoundest interest; to
others it commends itself as expository of
| the methods by which the Roman Church
presides, and the relations it assumes to-
ward the peoples of earth. 1t gives very
| fully the defenses of the church, against
| its more recent assailants especially. 1t is
gracefully arranged in orderly manner, the
diction is pure English and the text is no.
where uncertain. We should class it
among the most popular expositions of the
doctrines of the Church of Rome and the
strongest of its advocates To the layman,
as well as the churchman, it discloses
great deal of valuable data, doctrinal re-
cital and historical information.
John B. Alden, New York. has issued
superb edition OF "Guizot's History of
France to 1S4S." 1t is in eight compact
Volumes two of which are at hand. The
set is sold for the remarkably low price of
So The volumes are in marbled covers
with dark Morocco leather, marbled edges
and gold-illuminated backs in a very at
tractive style There are 427 spirited full
page illustrations. The letter press is not
a rivulet of text in an ocean of page, but full
and with narrow margin, clear and upon a
superior quality of paper. Alden is so
confident of public approval of this ven
ture in reproduction that he offers to send
a specimen copy for so cents. to be deducted
with u cents for postage this price to be
deducted when the remainder OF the set is
ordered. We know of no means by which
an exceedingly handsome set of this
fascinating history can be secured at any
where near so low figure, except one
orders the cloth bound edition at 81 so.
There is no library that will not be graced
by these very attractively bound volumes
being added to it. Whatever other pub
fishers may think of this heavy cutting of
rates by Alden, book purchasers can have
but one opinion.
The Century for February Century
Company, New York; is at hand. The
frontispiece is an admirable portrait of DR..
McCosh, President of Princeton College.
The illustrations, which are numerous,
relate to Lees invasion of Pennsylvania,
and recent discoveries of art works in
Rome, astronomical research, st. Barthol-
omew's Church, the Oldest in London; and
Lincoln's life. The leading papers are
THE Life of Lincoln" tserial); Frank
Stockton's serial, The Hundreth Man -
art Work Discoveries in Rome" by
Rodol for Lanciani Relative Strength
and Weakness of Nations" by Edward
Atkinson; several war papers; "The
Stars" by s. P. Langley; !" The Oldest